Deutsche Postbank AG has doubled its commercial real estate financing volume in the space of just a few years, with domestic and foreign business increasing from EUR 4.8 billion at year-end 2003 to EUR 9.6 billion as of June 30, 2007. This was announced by Stefan Jütte, the Board member responsible for Lending at the Bonn-based bank, at the "Expo Real" international real estate trade fair in Munich. "We are particularly pleased that we have been able to keep the allowance for losses on loans and advances at a constant level despite this rapid growth," he added.

More than three-quarters of the expansion in the financing volume resulted from organic growth, with only EUR 1.1 billion attributable to the acquisition of the London branch in 2005. Germany remains the most important market for Postbank's commercial real estate finance activities, accounting for 33% of the lending volume, closely followed by the United Kingdom (28%), North America (21%) and the rest of continental Europe (17%).

Postbank expects its commercial real estate finance business to continue to develop positively. Germany will remain its key market, but the Bank also intends to record further growth in the other markets in which it is currently present. This strategy will be supplemented by performing consulting activities for the financing projects of German corporate clients in the rest of Europe.